Rick James Chatas

Rick James Chatas is a technology product designer, mentor, and investor based in Reno, Nevada, who most recently served as a Lead UX Designer at PayPal. Active in the software design industry since 2008, he has held various user experience and product architecture roles across several prominent Silicon Valley technology companies. His professional background includes specialized design positions at recognizable consumer and financial technology firms, including significant tenures at Plaid and Airbnb. Earlier in his career, Chatas completed an internship at Infinite Loop and subsequently worked at Apple, where he directly contributed to the initial iPhone launch for the Apple Online Store. Beyond his corporate design roles, he serves as an active mentor for Dribbble’s eight-week Scaling Design Systems Course. His current professional focus centers on advancing scalable design systems, user experience architecture, and early-stage technology investments.